Migrate Server Roles to Windows Server 2008 R2

Migration documentation and tools ease the process of migrating server roles, features, operating system settings, and data from an existing server that is running Windows Server® 2003 or Windows Server® 2008 to a computer that is running Windows Server® 2008 R2. By using migration guides linked to on this page (and where appropriate, Windows Server Migration Tools) to migrate roles, role services, and features, you can simplify deployment of new servers (including those that are running the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2, and virtual servers), reduce migration downtime, increase accuracy of the migration process, and help eliminate conflicts that could otherwise occur during the migration process.

Most of the migration documentation and tools featured on this page support cross-architecture migrations (x86-based to x64-based computing platforms), migrations between physical and virtual environments, and migrations between both the full and Server Core installation options of the Windows Server operating system, where available.

Windows Server Migration guides provide you with instructions for migrating a single role, role service, or feature to a server that is running Windows Server 2008 R2. Guides do not contain instructions for migration when the source server is running multiple roles. If your server is running multiple roles, it is recommended that you design a custom migration procedure specific to your server environment, based on the information provided in other migration guides.

Windows Server Migration Tools, available as a feature in Windows Server 2008 R2, allows an administrator to migrate some server roles, features, operating system settings, shares, and other data from computers that are running certain editions of Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2 to computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2.

Not all migrations require or use Windows Server Migration Tools. Guides for migrations that require Windows Server Migration Tools clearly state that Windows Server Migration Tools setup is part of the migration process, and provide specific instructions for how to use Windows Server Migration Tools.

To use Windows Server Migration Tools, the feature must be installed on both source and destination computers as described in the following guide.